Gates County government workforce expanded at irresponsible pace
September 23, 2010
GATES COUNTY NEWS -- Gates County receives a grade of F in terms of county government worker growth, according to a study by the Civitas Institute. The study examines the changes in county government employees from 2000 to 2009 for each of North Carolina’s 100 counties and compares that to each county’s change in private sector jobs and population.
Overall, 73 of North Carolina’s 100 county governments grew their workforce at a faster pace than their respective private sector employment.
Furthermore, 60 county governments expanded their payrolls at a rate that exceeded the county’s population growth over the same period.
According to Civitas Institute analyst Brian Balfour, "At a time of heightened concern over the explosive growth of government, citizens should be concerned about their county government adding workers at a pace faster than population growth – or even as the county sheds private sector jobs."
Added Balfour, "Gates County received an F, the lowest possible grade, because they expanded their county government workforce at an irresponsible pace. Counties receiving an F either increased their county workers in spite of a drop in county population, or increased county workers."
In total, the number of county government workers in North Carolina grew at a 13 percent pace from 2000 to 2009. At the same time, however, the size of North Carolina’s private sector workforce dropped by nearly 4 percent. The 13 percent county government employment growth rate is slightly less than the statewide population growth rate of 16 percent over the same period.
Neighboring Bertie County trimmed its workforce by -19.4%, while its population grew by 331 residents over the decade. On the other hand, Gates County’s workforce grew by 44.2%, and added 28 county employees to serve a population growth of 1107 persons. Additionally, Gates County’s private sector employment shrank by 12.2% over the last decade. Gates County lost 119 of its 977 private sector jobs between years 2000 and 2009.
Finally, the only justification for Gates County’s increased government workforce is these employees are needed to serve the land of entitlements, which the local leadership has been flagrantly building over the last two decades. A county whose its populace will be forced to either seek employment elsewhere, or remain dependant on local, state, and federal entitlement programs. Because, let’s face it, only a chosen few will be eligible to work for the Gates County local government. Our local leadership can now proudly embrace its legacy. An entitlement utopia built by a progressive leadership approved by its county’s citizenry.
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